The Love of One
by DaemonArts
Summary: What do you do when the one you love, loves another? The story of one teenage shinobi and the girl he loves. OCxHina. Supports NaruxSaku and other pairings. My first fanfic. Plz read & review. Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto, not me. On hiatus
1. Beginning

Gray rain clouds obscured the sun and a gentle downpour darkened the sky over Konoha. Ai loved this weather. He didn't know why, he just did. And at the moment, it fit his mood. He slowly made his way down the street, going nowhere in particular. He had no reason to be unhappy. Akatsuki had been defeted and the world had returned to a fairly peaceful state. Or at least as peaceful as it could be with opposing nations of shinobi. Konoha's shinobi had continued to take missions, and Ai had made quite a lot of ryo with the last one he had completed. He was a chunin, and was very busy most of the time with missions and paperwork, but at the moment, he had nothing to do. So he was wandering the streets, paying no attention to the rain , lost in thought.

She was all he could think about, all he could _ever_ think about. Ever since they were in the academy, he had loved her. His thoughts were always one her, even when he was on a mission. What was she doing? Was she happy? Was she sad? These questions were always running through his head. He wanted nothing more than to have her return his feelings; unrequited love was hell. But it would never be. She loved someone else. Ai saw how she looked at him, and he knew he was out of luck. She was always staring at him, and whenever she was near him, she would always get nervous and loose her ability to speak correctly. It was heartbreaking.

Ai passed shop after shop, house after house, lost in his misery. Why was he so miserable? Naruto was with Sakura now. They had been together since the last fight against Akatsuki, so he was out of the way. But why was he so unhappy about it? Was it because _she_ was unhappy about it? Or was it because she _still_ loved Naruto, even though he was with Sakura? Either way, he was depressed.

Ai came to the training grounds. He could see the wooden posts used as shuriken practice. He came to a stop as he saw the person sitting at the base of one of the posts. It was her.

"Hinata!" he cried as he walked over to her. At the sound of her name, Hinata Hyuga looked up with tears in her pale eyes.

"A-Ai-kun, what are you doing out here in the rain?" she asked, quickly wiping the tears from her eyes and rising to her feet.

"I should ask you the same thing," he said. The sight of her always left him breathless. Her long, raven hair fell quietly around her shoulders, the smell of lavender wafting off it. And her eyes! Oh, how he could loose himself in them if he wasn't careful. "You shouldn't be out here in this weather, you'll get sick."

"I-I'm fine. I just came out here to clear my head," she said.

"Naruto, right?" but he didn't have to ask.

"Y-yes," she answered. Her timid side had always been one of her most attractive qualities, at least for him. She was so cute, even when she was upset. And her pain pained him more than any kunai could. "I'm happy, really I am. I've never seen Naruto-kun so happy. It's just, it's just..." she said as new tears formed in her eyes.

Ai wanted nothing more than to reach out and hold her, to never let her go, but he couldn't. "It's okay Hinata, you really care for him and it's normal that you're upset that him and Sakura are together. The fact that you're happy for him is very admirable."

"Th-thank you Ai-kun," she said with a small smile that warmed his heart. He smiled back as a small ray of sunshine peeked out from the clouds. The rain had stopped and the clouds were starting to disperse. Ai sat down against one of the posts and looked up at the sky. The sun was going down and soon it would be night. Hinata sat down beside him and looked up at the sky as well.

"Beautiful, isn't it?" Ai asked. "There's something about a sunset that is truely marvelous. The way the sky turns from blue to red then to purple, it's incredible."

"Y-yes, it is." she replied.

They stayed like that for a long time, niether saying very much. Finally when the sun had completely gone down and the stars and moon shone in thier full glory, Hinata spoke up.

"Ai-kun, th-thank you for keeping me company, I feel much better now, about Naruto-kun I mean."

"It was no problem, Hinata. What else are friends for?" he replied with a smile.

"You are a good friend Ai," she said. She let out a big yawn and placed her head on Ai's shoulder. His heart skipped a beat as the smell of lavender reached his nose.

"H-Hinata..." he tried to say, but she was already asleep. Without waking her, Ai slowely picked her up and began walking her home. He reached the Hyuga house in no time and leaped up to her bedroom window. He set her down on her bed and pulled the blanket up over her. As he knelt there, inches from her face, the scent once again overpowered him and he leaned in closer. She was so beautiful, he couldn't stand it, and the moonlight only made her more beautiful. He leaned in closer and closer, till thier lips were almost touching, then he stopped. No matter how much he wanted to kiss her at that moment, he knew he couldn't. She loved Naruto, and if he did what he wanted to, it would only ruin what he already had with her.

Standing back up and making his way to the window, he turned back and looked at her. She was the most beautiful thing in the world, and he didn't care who knew it.

"I love you Hinata," he said, and climbed out the window.

"I love you too, Naruto," she replied, never waking.

Feeling worse than ever, Ai jumped down from her window and began walking home.

* * *

A/N: the first chapter of my first fanfic

its not as long as i would have liked, but i like how it turned out, sets the mood for the rest of the story

plz review, i thrive on them, if i dont get reviews, i feel that nobody is reading and i wont write more and that makes me a very sad panda


	2. Mission

The next morning Ai woke to a sunny day. He slowely climbed out of bed and got in the shower. He got dressed and tied his headband around his forehead. This morning he had a meeting with Tsunade about the coming chunin exam and if he was late again, she would send him through the wall. He ate a bit of breakfast, locked up the appartment, and started for the Hokage's office. He took about three steps and came face to face with a girl.

"Hello Ai, got a minute?" the blonde girl asked.

"Hello Ino, and I really need to be getting to Tsunade..."

"It will only take a minute," she replied. Ai let out a sigh of defeat and Ino smiled mischieviously. "Good, now, what is Hinata to you?" Ai wasn't surprised that she new how he felt about Hinata. She had a talent for involving herself in other people's relationships.

"What's it to you?" he asked.

"Well, I want to help you out," she answered "if you want it, that is. Me and Choji are going out tonight and I was thinking we could make it a double date."

"I appreciate you wanting to help, but it won't do any good, she doesn't feel anything for me." he said. It hurt him to voice it outloud, but it was true.

"Then we can make it a blind date," she suggested.

"How can it be a blind date when I know who I''m set up with?" he asked.

"A blind date for _her_ dummy. I can tell her I set her up with some guy on a blind date. Of course you would know that you're on a date with her, but when you saw her act surprised." Ai thought about this for a minute, but decided against it. Yes, he really cared for Hinata, but he knew that any attempt to hook up with her would end in failure.

"I'm sorry Ino, but I would rather not. It wouldn't work anyway. She's still really upset about Naruto and Sakura, and the last thing I want is for her to worry about me too."

"Awww, that's so sweet," she said with a girly squeal, "and very noble of you. And I can understand how she feels too. I knew that those two would end up together eventually, but I know how upset she must be. If Choji loved someone else, I don't know what I would do..." she said as a grim look came over her face. "Fine then, if you don't want my help, I'll stay out of it. But I still think you should at least tell her how you feel."

"I appreciate you're advice, I really do, but I'm not going to bother her with my feelings." Ai checked the time. "I really have to get going. If I don't get to Tsunade soon, I won't be around long enough for Hinata to worry about me," he said with a nervouse smile.

"All right then, I'll see you later then Ai," Ino said. Ai broke into a run as he weaved throught the crowd, trying to reach the Hokage's office. He was running really late. Tsunade was going to be furious. He ran up the stairs and knocked on the door. "Come in," he heard come from the other side. Good, she didn't sound to upset. Maybe he was in the the clear. He opened the door and stepped inside. Tsunade sat at her desk writing on a piece of paper. Her assistant, Shizune, stood beside her pouring a cup of tea.

"Ah, Ai, i've been expecting you," Tsunade said. Ai walked forward and stood in front of her desk. Standing before her like this always felt like being put on trial to him. One wrong move and he could ignite that explosive temper of hers.

"Good morning Lady Tsunade, I have reviewed the entrants for the chunin exam and they all seem to be prime candidates. I will---"

"Yes, yes, I'm quite sure that you have everything under control with the chunin exam. That's not why I called you here this morning. I have a mission for you. We're just waiting for you're partner to arrive," she said as someone knocked on the door. "Come in," Tsunade called and the door opened. In walked Hinata.

"You s-summoned me Lady Tsunade?" she said. "H-hello Ai-kun," she said when she saw him. His heart lept when she said his name.

"Good, now that you're both here, I can give you your mission," Tsunade said. She opened a drawer in her desk and pulled out a folder. "We have reports of Sound ninja patroling the border. You two are to find these ninja and take them out. Normally, we would send more than two for such a mission, but with Ai's exceptional sound techniques and Hinata's byakugan, I felt that the two of you would be more than enough to handle a few renagade Sound ninja."

"Excuse me Lady Tsunade, but why are there Sound ninja patroling the border, didn't Sasuke take Orochimaru out? Why would they still be around when thier leader is dead?" Ai asked.

"We think that they are just rouge shinobi posing as sound ninja. Or maybe they're just stray sound ninja looking to cause trouble. Either way, they don't pose much of a threat considering their numbers, so this mission is only B-ranked. However, I want you two to take this as seriously as you would an A-ranked mission. The last thing we need are some leftover sound ninja causing trouble in the village."

"D-don't you think it would be better if Neji was sent instead of me?" Hinata questioned.

"Neji is already on a mission and won't be back for several days. Besides, I think that you will be a much better choice for this mission than your cousin," Tsunade said with a mischevious grin.

"You'll do fine Hinata. I can't think of anyone I'd rather have on this mission with me than you," Ai said smiling. He couldn't help but notice the look he got out of the corner of Tsunade's eye.

"Th-thank you, Ai-kun," Hinata replied blushing. "W-we will do our best, Lady Tsunade," Hinata said nervously. With a bow, she left.

"Now Ai, I want you to protect Hinata with everything you have. She isn't very confident in herself, and in battle that can lead to disaster. Protect her with your life. Although I dont't think I need to tell you that," Tsunade said with a wink.

"Yes, Hokage-sama," Ai replied blushing. Of course Tsunade would know, she knew everything that went on in the village. "I'll do my best."

"I know you will, but next time, make sure to get here on time, understood?" she said.

"Y-yes, Lady Tsunade." Ai bowed and left the office. He was both elated and distraught at the same time. He was to go on a mission with Hinata, so he could look forward to a lot of alone time with her. On the other hand, he was very worried that she would get hurt. She was a very accomplished ninja, perhaps even stronger than himself. But he just couldn't help but worry. If anything were to happen to her, he didn't know what he would do.

Shaking the thought away, he started for home to pack. On the way, he passed the ramen shop. Out of the corner of his eyes he saw someone pay the cook and leave. It was Naruto.

"Hey Ai," Naruto said when he saw Ai, "what's up?"

"Nothing really, I just got a mission from Tsunade and I'm heading home to pack."

"Awesome, I'm getting ready to head over to Sakura's place to pick her up. We have a double date with Ino and Choji tonight and she's wanting to go shopping." Apparently Ino got to Naruto and Sakura with the double date idea, Ai thought.

"That's cool. Well then, I have to go pack, then meet up with Hinata at the gate," Ai said.

"Hinata, huh? She's a strange one, alright. When ever I see her she's always fainting and getting all red in the face. It's really weird." Ai had to stop himself from punching Naruto in the face. "Well, I guess I'll see you when you get back. Later Ai."

"Yea, bye." Ai walked the rest of the way back to his appartment and packed his things, the whole while thinking about what Naruto had said about Hinata. How could he be so dense? Ai had always liked Naruto. He made the day interesting. When he had painted the stone faces of the Hokages, Ai had been unable to stop laughing at the sight. But now he couldn't hate him more. He was causing Hinata incredible pain, and was completely unaware of it! Ai punched the wall in anger and left behind a four inch hole. Great, he would have to fix that when he got back. Composing himself, Ai slung his pack over his shoulder and walked out the door. He met Hinata by the gate.  
"Ready to go Hinata?" he asked.

"Y-yes, I'm ready," she replied. With that brief exchange of words, they kicked off and began the long run to the border of the fire country, and the impending battle that awaited them.


	3. Ambush

The first night, Ai and Hinata camped out in a small clearing several miles from the village. They made a fire and rolled out their sleeping bags. Neither of them said very much but Ai couldn't help but steal quick glances at Hinata. She seemed miles away. Ai would try to start a conversation with her, but he would only get short, to-the-point replies. He eventually stopped trying all together. It pained him to see her like this, but knew it was best to give her space. She needed time, and he would make sure she got all the time she needed.

* * *

"Ai, time to get up! You'll be late for school!" his mother cried from downstairs. Ai woke up and sat at the edge of his bed. He had dreamed about her again. That shy girl that sat in front of him at the academy, whom he barely knew. He dreamed about her almost every night anymore. He couldn't figure out why. 

Ai got dressed and walked downstairs. His mother was setting the table for breakfast. He sat at his seat and began eating. His mother came up behind him and started messing with his hair.

"You really take after your father, Ai. Everyone alwasy teased him about his hair being so green, and I just hope no one does the same to you."

"It's fine mom."

"At least let me cut it. Boys shouldn't have hair so long. It's all the way down to your back for crying out loud!" his mother commented.

"Mom," Ai whined. His mother was always complaining about something about him. His father had been killed in the fight against the Nine Tailed Fox before Ai was born. So it had just been his mother and him for as long as he could remember. Ai supposed that his mother wished he could be more like his father, which was why she was always comparing the two of them. He still wished she wouldn't do it though, it made him feel like she rather have his father there than himself. Pushing the thought out of his head, he finished his breakfast and said goodbye to his mother.

"I'll see you after school, mom," he cried. He didn't get a reply. With a sigh, he made his way to the ninja academy.

* * *

"I'm sorry, Ai-kun." The sudden outburst brought Ai out of his trance. He had been thinking about the last time he ever talked to his mother. She had been complaining about his hair being too long. He had had it cut since then, but he supposed that, were she still alive, she would still be complaining about it. 

"What are you sorry about?" he asked.

"I'm sorry, that I haven't been... that I've been so..." Hinata tried to say. Ai just shook his head and smiled.

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Hinata. I understand exactly what you're going through. It's perfectly normal to be upset. I would be." If only she knew, he thought.

"Still, all I'm doing is causing you trouble," she said as she began to cry. Before he knew it, he was beside her, holding her as she cried on his shoulder. They stayed like that for a few minutes before she calmed down. "I'm so sorry, Ai-kun. I really am good for nothing. All I do is cause trouble for others."

"You're no trouble at all, Hinata. I rather enjoy your company actually," he said.

"Th-thank you, Ai-kun," she said, face turning crimson. It was then that she realized how close they were to eachother, and her face turned even redder. "I th-think it's time for b-bed," she stuttered. She quickly got in her sleeping bag and turned her back to Ai. He smiled and walked over to his own sleeping bag. He layed down, but wouldn't go to sleep. He would take watch and let Hinata sleep. He glanced over to the girl that consumed all his thought to see her laying with her back to him. She seemed to be asleep already. Ai sighed and sat up. He turned his back to her and stared up at the night sky.

"G-good night, Ai-kun," he heard Hinata whisper.

"Good night, Hinata." I love you, he thought.

* * *

The next morning, Ai got up and made breakfast. It was basic, consisting of just rice and a bit of soy sause, but it was enought. Hinata woke up right as he was finishing the rice.

"Good morning," Ai said as he handed Hinata her breakfast.

"G-good morning," she replied. They both ate in silence. When they were finished, Ai took their bowls to a nearby stream and washed them. As he was walking back, something caught his eye. It was a footprint. And by the looks of it, it was only a day old. That meant that the sound ninja were close by.

More wary than before, Ai returned to camp and told Hinata about what he had found. They quickly packed and continued on their way. It didn't take them long to pick up on the enemy's trail, and they began following it, keeping an eye out for traps. They followed it for a couple hours before they found another footprint. These certainly couldn't be very skilled ninja, Ai thought. Any good shinobi knows to always cover your trail. Especially when in enemy territory. Feeling confident that this mission wouldn't take much longer, Ai and Hinata followed the trail for another hour or so. Ai was feeling so confident that he didn't notice the explosive tags that were placed on the surrounding trees. As soon as the two got in the center of the area, all the tags went off. Ai and Hinata halted as explosions went off all around them. Luckily, the nearest tags were too far away to do any damage and the two weren't harmed. As soon as the smoke cleared, Ai looked at their surroundings. The trees were thick in this area and he couldn't see more than ten feet in any direction.  
"Hinata, what do you see?" he asked. Hinata activated her byakugan and scanned the area.

"Th-there are four ninja surrounding us," she said. "Look out!" she shouted and tackled Ai. The two hit the ground and Ai looked back at where he had been standing. Had Hinata taken half a second later to notice them, Ai would have been hit with a dozen or so kunai that had been hurled in his direction.

"Th-thanks, Hinata. I owe you one," he commented. The two turned back-to-back as four sound shinobi jumped down to face them. By the looks of it, three of them were male with the other one being female. All four of them wore masks concealing their face, with only their eyes showing. The woman began to laugh.

"Looks like the Leaf has sent some of its seedlings to come take care of us," she chuckled. "Do they really think that two little nin like them can take out four jounin? What are you, genin?" she asked.

"Chunin," Ai growled. The woman let out another bout of laughter.

"Ooooh, I'm terrified," she mocked, pretending to cower in fear. "Hmph, like it makes any difference," she said, suddenly getting serious, "you'll die all the same."

"Don't underestimate the ninja of Konoha, we're more than we appear," Ai said with a smirk. Little did they know, he was Tsunade's go-to guy when dealing with sound ninja.

"If anyone is underestimating anyone, it is _you_ underestimating _us_," the biggest of the four said. "After all, you _did_ fall for our trap," he said with a grin that could be seen through his mask. Ai silently cursed to himself for being so careless and letting my guard down. They had been on to them all along, and he fell right into their hands. Ai wasn't so made that _he_ ended up in this situation as he was that he got Hinata in it as well. He had put her in more danger than need be. Hadn't Tsunade told me to protect her with my life? Hmph, I'm doing a _fabulous_ job so far, he thought.

"Hinata, are you ready for this?" Ai asked. He didn't have to look at her to know that she was nervous. She was trembling, he could feel it.

"I-I th... I th-think," she managed to say.

"Don't worry, you'll do fine Hinata. I believe in you." Ai gave her Lee's signature "Nice Guy" pose over his shoulder. She blushed slightly and turned to face their opponents. She seemed more sure of herself than before, and that pleased Ai. The two got into thier battle stance and pulled out kunai, while the four sound ninja did the same.

"Just remember what I taught you, and you'll do great," Ai whispered to Hinata. She nodded that she understood, and he nodded back. "Good, now let's go!" he yelled as they both attacked.

* * *

A/N: w00t, done with chapter 3! lol 

i've gotten a few reviews saying that i need to put more description about Ai, and i don't think i did to good of a job in this chapter T.T

but this is a learnin experiance for me considering its my first fic, and i did put in a bit of a backstory that will develop over the course of the next couple chapters

i'm gonna try my best to put in a better physical description of Ai in the next couple of chapters as well, but im also workin on drawing him and if i can, ill post up a link to my deviantart page, where i will post the pic

be forewarned though, my artistic skills are limited .


	4. Battle

Hinata rebounded off of her opponent. She was fighting the woman who had mocked them. Ai was busy fighting the remaining three enemies several yards away from her. He was so graceful, she thought. Watching him fight was like watching a choreographed dance. He would weave in and out of his opponent, avoiding every attack, then land his own. She may have been in love with Naruto, but she couldn't help but notice how incredibly handsome Ai was. His shoulder-length hair whipped around his face as he fought with his opponents, and his headband, tied on the side like always, gleamed in the sun. Hinata had to forcefully tear her eyes away from the him, less she end up dead, and continued with her own fight.

Hinata had her byakugan activated and was attempting to shut of her opponents chakra points with her gentle fist style, but wasn't making much progress. She would make strike after strike, only to have them miss. She would have to be more careful, she was starting to run low on chakra. She struck at the woman's left side, but of course missed. The sound ninja grabbed her arm and threw her against a tree. Hinata hit the trunk hard, and had the wind knocked out of her. She tried to get back to her feet, but the sound woman got to her before Hinata could do anything. She grabbed Hinata by the throat and pinned her against the tree. Reaching into her tool bag, the woman pulled out a serated kunai and put it against Hinata's jugular.

"Now you're little boyfriend will have the joy of watching you die," she said. Hinata was unable to speak, the pressure on her throat was to great and her airway was being cut off. Tears began to run down her cheek as the realization of it hit her. She was going to die, without ever telling Naruto how she felt.

"Say goodbye, little girl. Oh wait, you can't," the woman let out a laugh just as she was roundhouse kicked in the side of the head. Hinata fell to the ground and began to cough.

"Hinata, are you alright?" Ai asked. Hinata looked up into his bright green eyes and for a moment, it felt as though her heart stopped beating. She felt her face turn bright red and quickly stood up.

"Y-yes, I'm f-fine," she stammered. The sound woman slowely started getting to her feet.

"You little bastard," she growled, "I'll kill you for that!" She looked around to see her companions all knocked out. "You idiots! Get your asses up and fight!" The three slowely got up and surrounded the two young ninja.

"Get behind me Hinata," Ai said as he removed the cut-off gloves he wore. He formed a couple of hand signs and Hinata could see through her byakugan that he was channeling his chakra into his hands. He formed the last hand sign and spread his arms wide. "Sonic blast jutsu!" he shouted as he slammed his hands together. A great sound wave exploded out of his hands and shot toward the four sound ninja. The woman managed to jump out of the way in time, but her three companions weren't so lucky. The attack hit them with enough force to shatter stone. Blood spurted out of their ears as their ear drums burst. They screamed in pain, and collapsed to the ground.

"A-are they... d-dead...?" Hinata asked.

"If they aren't, they will be soon," he replied sadly. "I've used that attack to shatter boulders, so imagine what it can do to bones. Or organs." Hinata thought she saw a small tear run down his cheek.

"Y-you little... you'll pay for that!" the sound woman spat from above them. Hinata looked up to see her bitting her thumb. She slammed her hand down on the tree branch she had perched on and yelled "summoning jutsu!" There was a huge puff of smoke and when it cleared, there were around a hundred crows surrounding her.

"Don't worry Hinata, everything will be fine," Ai assured her. She believed him, and for some reason, felt very comforted by this.

The crows took flight and several of them picked up the woman, so that she was suspended in the midst of them. "Now, my pets," she said to the crows, "show them why they call me the Songbird of the Sound!" All at once, the crows started to caw, but it was amplified by thier chakra, so that it was more of a siren. Ai and Hinata were frozen in place by the frequency of the attack. Hinata clamped her hands to her ears in a pitiful attempt to shut out the noise. She collapsed to her knees, and hugged her head.

"M-make it s-stop," she cried, "p-please, make it stop!" The attack went on for what seemed like hours before it ceased. Hinata removed her hands from her ears to see blood on them. Ai had faired a bit better than she had, but he had been brought to his knees as well.

"Hmph, not so tough now, are you?" the sound woman said.

"H-Hinata, I think it's time for that technique I told you about. You remember what I taught you?" Ai asked.

"Y-yes, Ai-kun. I remember." She just hoped that she wouldn't let him down.

"Alright then," Ai said as he formed his chakra. He went through a complex series of hand signs then activated the jutsu. "Sense negation jutsu: Deaf Man's Curse," he said, and the world went quiet. A look of pure surprise and shock came over the sound woman's face. She attempted to perform the siren technique again, but when the crows opened their beaks, nothing came out. Ai smiled and looked at Hinata.

He nodded as if to say, "ready?" She nodded back in agreement. Ai formed more hand signs and activated the next jutsu. The world went black.

* * *

"Alright Hinata, now, we're going up against sound ninja, right?" Ai said after he swallowed his rice. They had stopped about an hour after they had left Konoha to eat dinner, and Ai had something than he needed to try out. 

"R-right," she replied, setting her bowl down.

"And sound ninja specialize in sound techniques, right?"

"Y-yes."

"Do you know why Tsunade picks me to take care of sound ninja?" he asked.

"It's because of your abilities, r-right? Although I've never actually seen it with my own eyes, I've heard its really something." she answered.

"Correct," Ai smiled. "Do you know what it does?"

"I-it's a form of genjutsu, isn't it?" she asked. Ai chuckled.

"No, that's the beauty of it, it's a reagular ninjutsu," he said with a smile.

"O-oh," she said, feeling bad that she didn't know that much about his techniques. He didn't seem upset about it though, so that made her feel better about it.

"My technique is two parts," he began. "In the first part, Deaf Man's Curse, I nullify any sound waves in the air using my chakra as a dampener. In the second part, Blind Man's Curse, I absorb all light waves in the area, leaving it pitch black. Now, the first part is extremely effective against sound ninja, due to the fact that they use sound techniques. However, using both of them drains my chakra and leaves me without any energy left to fight. That's where you come in. Your byakugan can see a person's chakra points, so I think that you'll still be able to see even when I've absorbed all the light. If I have to resort to using this technique, you'll have to take out any remaining enemies."

"I-I don't th-think..." she tried to say.

"You can do it Hinata, I know you can," he said. She didn't understand how he could have so much confidence in her, but looking at his face and knowing that he believed in her, somehow made her feel like she _could_ do it.

The spent the next few minutes testing Ai's theory. He had to keep the range of his technique small, or else he'd drain all of his chakra and he wouldn't be able to continue pursuit. But with some precise chakra control, he managed to only drain the light in the five or so feet between the two of them. And sure enough, Hinata's byakugan could see through it without a problem. Ai released the jutsu and sat down exausted.

"Whew, reminde me to never pick a fight with you, Neji, or any of the Hyuga clan. I'd be a gonner," he joked. Hinata giggled. Ai slowely got to his feet and brushed off his shirt. "This is great!" he exclaimed, "with your byakugan, we'll be able to take out those sound ninja without a problem!" Hinata still wasn't so sure.

"Ai-kun, w-what makes you s-so sure that I can... th-that I can h-handle this?"

"Because, Hinata, I trust you. I know you would never let anything happen to me," he answered with a smile. Hinata's face burned and her heart started to beat really fast. She at that moment realized that no matter what, she wasn't going to let Ai down.

* * *

Hinata activated her byakugan and the world came into focus. She could see now. She looked over to were Ai had been and saw him crouching on the ground. He was breathing heavily, and his chakra network was almost completely drained. She turned around and looked up to where the sound woman was. Hinata crouched, ready to attack, but hesitated. Could she really do this? Yes, she told herself. I can do it because Ai believes I can do it. With that, Hinata attacked. She quickly leaped up to the sound woman and struck her in the gut. The crows that had been holding her in the air dropped her in surprise and she fell to the ground. Hinata landed on the ground and faced her opponent. The woman stood up and looked around, trying to determine where the attack had come from. 

Hinata walked over to her and stood right infront of her. This jutsu really was amazing. She was only inches away from her enemy, and yet she couldn't be seen or heard. Hinata readied her sixty-four palms technique. She would have to make this count, Ai was counting on her. Building up her chakra in her hands, she she struck at the first two of the woman's chakra points. A look of surprise and pain washed over her face as she was being attacked. Two palms, Hinata thougth. She changed position and struck at another four. Then at eight of them. Then sixteen. Then thirty-two and finally sixty-four of the enemy's chakra points, closing them all and rendering her unable to perform even the most basic jutsu. Then, to Hinata's surprise, the darkness cleared and she could hear the wind rustling throught the trees. She looked over to Ai to see that his chakra reservers were completely drained. She rushed over to him to get a better look.

One look and she realized how serious it was. He was suffering from chakra depletion. If she didn't get him to a hospital soon, he would die.

"Ai-kun, Ai-kun!," she called out anxiously. Ai slowely raised his head and looked at her.

"S-sorry, Hinata," he said weakly. "I-I couldn't... give you more... time."

"It's alright, Ai-kun," she said comfortingly as she took his hand. She gave it a slight squeeze and he squeezed in return. "Don't worry, I'm going to get you home and to a hospital," she assured him. He smiled in reply, and Hinata thought she saw something in his eye, something about the way he looked at her. What was that? Was it...?

"Hinata look out!" Ai yelled as he shoved her off to the side. Hinata hit the ground hard and looked back at him. Ai knelt on the ground with several shuriken sticking out of his torso.

"Ai-kun!" Hinata yelled, as Ai collapsed on the ground. She looked toward where the shuriken must have flown from to see the sound woman proping herself against a tree. She pulled out a kunai and slowely made her way over to Hinata. Her mask had torn and most of her face was now exposed. She had jet-black hair that ran past her shoulders, and very white skin. If it weren't for the murderous gleam in her eye and the crazed look on her face, Hinata would've found her to be excedingly beautiful. The woman slowely advanced and Hinata backed up. She was running low on chakra herself, and she could barely stand up, much less fend off another assault. Hinata sat down next to Ai and put his head in her lap.

"I'm sorry, Ai-kun," she said as she stroked the unconcious boy's hair, "I'm sorry that I wasn't more help." Tears began to flow down her cheeks, as death slowely made its way toward her.

"You two have been more trouble than I thought," the sound woman growled. She reached the two and stood over them with the kunai raised. "I was surprised that two little Leaf shinobi could do so well against four Sound jounin. You've earned my respect, so I'll make this quick," she said as she brought the kunai down. Hinata screamed and clutched Ai's head in her arms, but nothing happend. She slowely opened her eyes and looked up. The sound woman stood there, kunai still raised, with a look of utter surprise on her face. She turned around and moved her hand to the back of her neck, only to fall down right besides Hinata and Ai. Hinata looked at what the woman had been grabbing for. There were four poison needles sticking out of the back of her neck.

"Looks like we got here just in time," said a familiar voice. Three ninja appeared out from behind the trees and a wave of relief went through Hinata.

"T-Temari-chan... Kankuro-san... Kazekage-sama..." she said weakly.

"Easy Hinata," Temari said as she knelt besides her and Ai. "Don't worry, we're gonna get you back to Konoha."

"A-Ai-kun, he n-needs... a do... a doctor," Hinata mumbled.

"Yes, he does, and so do you, so just take it easy, okay?" the blond Sand shinobi said.

"O-okay... make sure... Ai-kun..." Hinata said just before she passed out.

"Kankuro, take the boy. Temari, the girl," Gaara instructed. Temari made to separate the two unconsious chunin and had to smile. They were holding hands.

* * *

A/N: i think i did a bit of a better job in describing Ai's physical appearance in this chapter, but for those of you who are still havin a hard time, just go to my page and click the link, itll take you to a drawing done by me of Ai 

more back story will be given in future chapters

what i did, as you can read, was switch the P.O.V to Hinata. while this helped with describing Ai's appearance, the real reason was to show how Hinata felt about Ai, and how she was beginning to feel about him. i plan on switching the P.O.V back to Ai for the next chapter, but i might go back to Hinata in a future chapter.

it took me a while to come up with the exact details of Ai's abilities, but i like the outcome. its powerful and effective, but leaves him drained and unable to do anything else, especially considering that he also uses sound techniques

i was debating on what kind of bird i wanted the sound woman to summon. i originally thought of some kind of songbird, but thought that a parakeet would be to cutsie for a ruthless sound shinobi, so i went with a crow cuz crows are really dirty birds and i hate the sound of crows cawing


	5. Realization

Ai woke to the steady _beep... beep_ of an ekg machine. He was in the hospital. Light filtered in between the curtains and left a pleasant glow in the small room. There were a couple of chairs in the corner for visitors, and a table beside the bed. On the table was a small vase with a single flower.

"Looks like you're finally awake," he heard beside him. He looked to his side to see a pink haired kunoichi checking his I.V. "You gave us all quite a scare Ai," Sakura told him.

"S-sorry 'bout that," Ai replied with a weak laugh. He tried to get out of bed, but Sakura pushed him back down.

"I don't think so, you're in no condition to be walking around," she said with a stern look. Ai got the feeling that if he didn't do what she said, she would make sure he never walked again. Poor Naruto, he thought.

"Alright, alright," he said as he sat back down, wincing in pain. "So, what's the damage?"

"You completely drained your chakra with that jutsu you performed. If you had held it any longer, you---"

"How's Hinata?" he asked, concern radiating from his voice. Sakura gave a knowing smile. Were all women this perceptive?

"She's just fine Ai, a little worse for wear, but she was released after a day or two. She's visited you almost every day since she was discharged. The flower is from her," she said pointing to the vase.

"Just how long have I been in here?" he wondered.

"A week," Tsunade said as she walked in the door. "I warned you about using that jutsu, you could've killed yourself!" she said angrily. Ai shrinked back in fear.

"S-sorry, Lady Tsunade. I j-just wanted to make sure the mission got done," he said.

"Well, I guess I shouldn't be _too_ mad. You did save Hinata's life," Tsunada finished with a smile.

"I-it was nothing, just doing my job," Ai said embarased. Sakura giggled. There was a knock at the door.

"Come in," Tsunade said. The door opened and Hinata slowely crept into the room.

"I-I came to see how Ai-kun w-was doing," she said. Tsunade and Sakura looked at each other.

"We'll give you two some time to talk," Tsunade said as she and Sakura headed toward the door. "Ai, when you are discharged, I need to see you and Hinata at my office."

"Y-yes, Lady Tsunade," Hinata said as she sat down on Ai's bed. Tsunade left the room and closed the door. Ai and Hinata sat in silence for a few minutes. Ai looked up at her and their eyes met. Hinata blushed and looked at her feet.

"I-I'm glad that you're better, Ai-kun," she finally said. "I... was so worried." Her eyes started to shimmer as tears welled up in them.

"Please don't cry Hinata, I'm alright," he assured her as he placed his hand over hers. She looked down at their hands and blushed, but smiled. She gently took his hand.

"Ai-kun, I want to thank you, for saving my life," she said softly. She looked up into his eyes, and for a moment, Ai thought that he saw longing in hers. He slowely leaned toward her, and Hinata's face turned even redder, but she didn't back away. Ai inched closer, untill they were only inches away from kissing.

"Hey Ai! Sakura told me that you were awake!" Naruto yelled as he waltzed in. Hinata squealed in surprise and quickly jumped off the bed. "Hey Hinata!" he said with a huge grin. Hinata looked from Naruto to Ai, then ran out of the room.

"What's her problem?" Naruto asked. He really was an idiot, Ai decided.

* * *

Naruto didn't stay very long, and Ai was just fine with that. He was starting to like Konoha's number one hyperactive ninja less and less. He hoped after Naruto left that Hinata might come back, but she never did. Ai thought to himself about the moment he had just had with her. Didn't she have feelings for Naruto? She had to have known what he was about to do, and she hadn't backed away. Did she have feelings for him too? Nurses came in and out of the room over the course of the rest of the day, checking moniters and his vitals. Sakura even came back once to tell him that he would be let go the next day.

"So, what did you and Hinata talk about?" she asked him playfully. Ai looked at her and sighed.

"Naruto really has a talent for ruining moments, doesn't he?"

"Yea," she giggled. "On our first date, we went to a festival and went through one of those Tunnel of Love things."

"What happend?" Ai asked ammused.

"I tried to kiss him, but he got seasick and spent the rest of the night throwing up," she said. Ai started laughing and soon Sakura was laughing along with him.

"But seriously Ai," Sakura started when she had calmed down, "I can understand if you hate Naruto right now, but please don't. It's not his fault."

"So it's Hinata's?" Ai said, suddenly getting angry at the girl.

"Th-that's not what I ment, Ai," she said. Ai pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. He knew what she ment.

"Naruto doesn't know how Hinata feels about him, so he doesn't see how the things he says and does around her affect her. If he did, you know that he wouldn't be like he is around her, he hates it when people are upset." What she said was true, and Ai knew it. Naruto really was a very kind person, he was just a little dense sometimes.

"I don't hate him, Sakura. I just hate seeing Hinata like that."

"You really love her, don't you?" she said. Ai nodded sadly.

"Well, I wish you the best of luck, I really mean it," she said as she made to leave.

"Thanks Sakura." And she left. Ai sighed and laid back down. He laid there for another hour while thoughts raced through his head, and when he finally fell asleep, he dreamed of Hinata.

* * *

Hinata rushed out of the hospital room and out of the hospital. Had she really almost kissed Ai? She kept running it over and over again in her mind, and there wasn't anything else she could call it. Her heart was beating a million miles a minute and her mind was filled with confusing emotions. She had pined after Naruto for years, and yet she had almost kissed Ai. If Naruto hadn't come in when he did, she _would_ have kissed him. She didn't know whether to thank Naruto, or to be angry at him.

She made it home and ran to her room, then laid down on her bed. Her thoughts went back to the battle, and to when she had found Ai on the brink of death. She remembered how scared she had been that he would die. She remembered how she felt when he had told her that he believed in her. She remembered how glad she had been to hear that he would live. She remembered what she had seen in his eyes as he looked up to her. Had it been... love? Was Ai in love with her? At that thought, her face got very hot and her heart began to beat even faster.

Hinata kept thinking about these things for hours, and when the sun had finally gone down, she came to her conclusion. It was the only conclusion she could possible make.

She was in love with Ai.

* * *

A/N: another chapter done and ready for your reading enjoyment

i know that this chapter is short, but if i had written more, i would've had to use stuff that i want to wait until later chapters to use

the entire bit with Hinata at the end was completely last-minute. i originally wanted to prolong Hinata's realization that she was in love with Ai for a few more chapters, but felt that this was a good time to do it

the next chapter will reveal more backstory for Ai and also reveal the plotline for the story


	6. Confession

A/N: well, i FINALLY got chapter 6 up. "why did it take so long" you may ask. sure its considerably longer than the other chapters and it might be written a little bit better, but the absolute truth is... i procrastinated. thats right, i am a real life shikamaru (super lazy).

but anyway, here it is, chapter 6, stereotypically labeled, "confession"

hmm i wonder what this chapter could be about (rolls eyes) lol

* * *

"H-Hinata-chan, th-there's something I need t-to tell you..." Naruto stuttered. Hinata felt her face turn bright red as she looked into his sapphire eyes. Her heart rate shot through the roof and she started to hyperventilate. 

"W-well, w-what is it, N-Naruto-kun?" she said, her index fingers pressed together in her oh-so familiar hand gesture.

"W-well, I..." Naruto cleared his throat. "I l-love you, H-Hinata-chan," he forced out. Hinata stared at him in disbelief, but pure joy filled her heart.

"I-I love you too..." she said as she ran into Naruto's arms. Only it wasn't Naruto, it was Ai now. She stared up into his forest green eyes, tears welling up in her own.

"I will always be there for you, Hinata," Ai promised her as he held her in a warm embrace and kissed her gently.

* * *

Hinata woke with a start. Her heart was beating very fast and she was sweating bullets. She had fallen asleep in her clothes, so she changed out of her jacket and looked out the window to see a very sunny and warm day. As the warm light hit her face she smiled softly. She had dreamt of both of them last night. Naruto had told her he loved her, but when she had told him _her_ feelings, it had been Ai that she confessed to, not Naruto. This only confirmed what she already knew in her head, and felt in her heart. She was in love with Ai. At the thought, her heart fluttered and all those familiar feelings and worries that she had had about Naruto, came flooding back. But there was something more to it. She was confident. Naruto had always given her more confidence, but never like this. All of a sudden she had the irresistible urge to see him. She quickly checked herself in the mirror, put her jacket back on, and rushed out of her room, only to run smack into her cousin.

"H-Hinata-sama!" Neji said as he kept her from falling. "You must be more careful, Hinata-sama."

"Y-yes, Neji-sama, th-thank you," she replied. Neji stared at her and a stern look came over his face.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" he asked accusingly.

"I-I'm going to see Ai-kun," she said with a slight blush. Neji's eyes narrowed and Hinata felt like he could stare right through her. But his face softened and he smiled.

"Alright, but you might want to hurry, I heard that he is being released today."

"Y-yes, th-thank you," she replied as she started for the door.

"Oh, and Hinata-sama," Neji called out to her, "do not hesitate to tell this one how you feel, remember what happened with Naruto." Hinata tried to retort, but was unable to say anything in return. She quickly shut the front door and left the Hyuuga compound.

Hinata made a quick stop at the Yamanaka Flower Shop and bought a flower for Ai. Ino was working at the counter and she gave Hinata a sly look.

"So, going to visit him _again_, are you?" she said with a giggle.

"H-he's being r-released today," she stammered.

"Oh, good. Then you two can spend some quality time together, where you can't be interrupted..." Ino hinted with a wink. Hinata understood perfectly what she meant, and just about passed out at the thought. She paid for the flower and rushed out the door.

In no time at all, she was walking into the hospital. She walked down the hallway and knocked on Ai's door. No answer. She knocked again, but still received no reply. Very hesitantly, she opened the door and peered inside. The room was still messy, so Hinata assumed that he hadn't left yet. The bed was in disarray, and his half-eaten breakfast sat on the bedside table.

"A-Ai-kun, are you here?" she asked as she walked into the room. Hinata looked in the direction of the bathroom door and saw a pair of cargo shorts and boxers, a white long-sleeved shirt and mesh top, and a black, sleeveless tunic piled together in the corner. Ai's clothes. Next to the pile lay his black headband. Hinata stared at them, not understanding their meaning until the bathroom door opened and Ai stepped out in nothing but a towel wrapped around his waist.

"H-Hinata!" he said surprised. Hinata was at a loss for words. Her face burned and tears began to form from the embarrassment.

"I-I'm s-sorry," she finally managed to say, "I-I'll w-wait outside." She rushed out of the room and shut the door behind her. Leaning against it, she took a minute to let herself calm down. Her heart was beating incredibly fast and she felt slightly light-headed. That had been quite a shock, seeing Ai half-naked like that. Yet she couldn't get the image out of her head. He really is very handsome, she thought blushing. Suddenly the door she was leaning on swung open and Hinata fell backwards and hit something hard. She turned around and looked up into a pair of green orbs.

"H-Hinata, are you alright?" Ai asked as he helped her stand up straight. She couldn't help but notice that he was blushing as well, perhaps even as much as herself. She looked down at her feet and pressed her index fingers together.

"Y-yes, I'm fine," she said with a small smile.

"I'm glad. Is that for me?" Ai asked. Hinata suddenly remembered the flower that she was still holding.

"Y-yes," she answered as she offered the flower to him. He gently took it and sniffed its petals, eyes closed.

"Thank you, Hinata. It's beautiful," he said with the same look that Hinata noticed from the fight. This only made her blush worse and her heart beat faster. She knew what that look was. It was the same look she had given Naruto behind his back for so long.

"Well, it's good your here, Hinata. Now we can go see Tsunade," he said.

"W-what?" Hinata asked confused.

"Remember? Yesterday Tsunade told us that she needed to speak with us after I was released from the hospital. Well, I've been released and I'm sure she's heard by now, so she's probably expecting us."

"O-oh, of course," she said, "we should go see her then."

"Alright," Ai said with a smile. Hinata smiled back and began following him out of the hospital.

* * *

Ai made his way towards the Hokage's office with Hinata walking closely beside him. Every once and a while he would look over at her out of the corner of his eye, only catch her looking at him. Whenever this happened, she would start blushing fiercely again and look away with that shy smile of hers that he loved so much. He wanted nothing more than to hold her hand as they walked, but dared not try, for fear of driving her away. If this was all there was going to be between them, then he was happy with that.

His mind went back to the hospital room. She had certainly surprised him when he walked out of the shower. It was a good thing that he saw her when he did, he had been about to remove that towel... Ai shuddered at the thought of exposing himself to her. That would've been very, _very_ bad.

They made it to the Hokage's building and began walking up the steps to her office. A commotion could be heard coming from the other side of the door. Ai and Hinata looked at each other and knocked.

"Come in!" they heard Tsunade yell. Hinata shrunk back and followed Ai into the office. Inside Tsunade and the Kazekage were busy overlooking a map. Tsunade appeared to be arguing with him.

"I told you Gaara, I can't spare any more ninja! We're understaffed as it is and I certainly can't build an army!"

"A-army?" Ai questioned in surprise. Tsunade and Gaara looked up from the map they had been studying.

"Come, sit down," Tsunade told the two. Ai and Hinata took a seat in front of her desk. Tsunade sat down behind it, looked around to see if Shizune was near, then pulled a sake bottle out of a drawer. Taking a drink, she began.

"It seems that those sound nin that you two took care of were just part of a much larger force that is gathering right outside our borders. If it weren't for the help Suna, by the time we realized this, it would've been too late. Suna's spy network managed to figure this out in time, and the Kazekage and his siblings made the decision to personally warn us. It's a good thing too, if it weren't for them, you two would be dead."

"E-excuse me, Hokage-sama," Ai interjected, "but just how large of a force are we talking about?"

"Nearing four hundred," Gaara said. Ai was dumbfounded. _Four hundred?_ That was almost unheard of!

"How on Earth are four hundred sound ninja massing outside our borders without our knowing!?" he yelled.

"That's the issue. We have no idea!" Tsunade said angrily. "Damnit! How could I let things go this far!" she yelled, slamming her fists on her desk, causing the wood to splinter. "I have already sent out messages requesting aid from Kirigakure and Takigakure, but it is unlikely that Kiri will send any reinforcements. We only have a handful of available ninja, and even with what Suna can spare, we're still outnumbered nearly three to one."

"Wh-what are we going to do, Hokage-same?" Hinata asked. Ai could tell by the sound of her voice that she was terrified. He was pretty scared himself. Three to one weren't great odds. Sure, they could win, but at what cost? So many lives would be lost...

"Who could be doing this? Orochimaru is gone! Sasuke killed him, didn't he? Who else could be capable of gathering so many rouge sound nin?" Ai asked desperately.

"That's why I called you here, Ai," Tsunade said. "We have reason to believe that the one who is gathering these ninja, is the same person who killed your mother." Ai froze.

"H-how... could you p-possibly... know that?" he asked, rage building up inside of him.

"Because the sand nin who were killed in the process of getting this information were killed by the same jutsu that killed your mother."

"W-why would the p-person who wants to d-destroy Konoha, have k-killed Ai-kun's m-mother?" Hinata asked.

"Because," Tsunade said, "his parents were runaways from Otogakure." Hinata gasped, and Gaara's eyes narrowed. Ai stared at Tsunade, speechless. He felt like he had just been hit in the head with a rock.

"Ai-kun..." Hinata said as she slowly reached out to him. She gently placed her hand on his shoulder. He flinched at her touch, turned his head to look at her, then got up and walked out the door.

Hinata quickly got up and followed him. Ai left the Hokage building and began walking down the street, lost in thought. It all made sense now. His father had been so adept at sound techniques, which Ai had inherited. He had never expected his mother to have been a ninja, but guessed it was possible that she decided to give up the position when he was born. But he never thought that his parents could've been Orochimaru's subordinates. Tears began to roll down his cheeks, but he wiped them away and turned into an alley.

* * *

"Ai-kun, Ai-kun!" Hinata called out to him as she followed him. Tears were forming in her own eyes. Ai weaved in and out of alleyways, and Hinata stayed close behind him all the way. He turned a corner and when Hinata turned the corner, he was gone. Surprised, she activated her byakugan, and saw him several blocks away, hopping from roof to roof. Hinata took this as that he wanted some time alone, and decided to give him that. What was she going to do? It was killing her to see Ai like this, and she wanted nothing more than to be there for him and to help him get through this. She decided to talk to the one person who could help her with her whole situation.

It didn't take long to find her. Hinata walked toward the hospital and found her heading away from it.

"S-Sakura-san!" Hinata called out to her. At the sound of her name, the pink-haired kunoichi looked up to see an upset Hinata rushing towards her.

"Hinata! What's wrong?" she asked concerned.

"D-do you have a m-moment to talk?"

"Uhh, sure. I just got off at the hospital and I was heading home, come on." she said. Hinata followed her to her apartment.

"Would you like some tea?" Sakura asked when they had taken off their shoes.

"Y-yes please, thank you." Hinata replied. Sakura went into the kitchen and set some water on to boil. She walked back into the living room and sat down on the couch. Hinata took a seat opposite her.

"So, what do you want to talk to me about?" Sakura asked.

"I-it's about Naruto-kun... and Ai-kun..." Hinata answered. At the mention of Ai, she began to blush. "Y-you know th-that I... I mean, how I felt..." she tried to say.

"Yes, I know how you feel about Naruto, Hinata. In fact, just about everyone knows, except for Naruto," she said with a small laugh.

"And you're not angry?" Hinata asked, a little afraid of the girl's reply.

"Of course not. You can't help who you have feelings for. And Naruto is a wonderful person. He can be a little dense at times, but he is still a good person. I just wish I would've seen it sooner. You're very good at picking out a person's good qualities, Hinata. Even when everyone thought he was a loser, you saw him for what he really was," she finished with a warm smile.

"Y-yes well... you see, the th-thing is... Ai-kun..." Hinata tried to say, but was unable to find the words. However, she didn't need to say it, Sakura knew what she was trying to say.

"You love him," she finished for Hinata. Hinata stared at her hands and nodded. A high-pitched whistle came from the kitchen, and Sakura got up to take the kettle off the stove. She came back with two tea cups and poured the water into them. Hinata took her tea and held it in-between her hands, letting the hot liquid warm them. Sakura returned to her seat and did the same.

"So, do you play on telling him?" she asked.

"Y-yes... but w-what if he... he d-doesn't..."

"Hinata, I think you should tell him. I _know_ you should tell him. The love of one person can turn a hellish nightmare into a beautiful dream. Everyone deserves to know when someone cares deeply for them." she said earnestly. Hinata looked at Sakura's face and nodded. She quickly finished her tea and set her cup down on the table.

"Th-thank you, Sakura-san," she said as she stood up.

"It was nothing, Hinata. You go get your man," she said jokingly. Hinata giggled with a faint blush on her cheeks.

"Hai!" she said, and she walked out the door, off to find Ai.

* * *

Ai sat against one of the wooden posts, the same place he and Hinata had sat over week ago, as he stared up into the night sky. The moon shone brightly and full. The stars dotted the night air. There was not a cloud in sight. He sat there, not thinking of anything, only watching as the moon drifted across the sky. He had been there for hours. It wasn't until the moon was at its highest point in the sky, that he became vaguely aware of someone sitting beside him. The alluring scent of lavender told him that it was Hinata. They sat in silence for a few minutes before Ai spoke.

"My father died when the Kyuubi attacked the village. I had just been born, so I don't have any memories of him." Hinata listened intently, never taking her eyes off the moon. "My mother raised me all by herself," Ai continued, "and until I was about seven or eight, we were happy."

Ai brought his knees to his chin and hugged his legs. "One day after school, I came home and there was a man that I didn't know there. He was arguing with my mother, I'm not sure about what. He had a cloak on, so I didn't see what he looked like, but I could tell he was bad news. I was scared of him, so I hid. Suddenly he formed some hand seals, and I passed out. When I woke up several days later, my mother was dead. The man had gotten away. Now that I know that my parents were sound nin, I suppose he was someone from Otogakure who tried to get my mother to come back with him. When she refused, he killed her."

"I-I think," Hinata began, "that even if your parents were sound shinobi, they were still good people. You say your father died protecting this village from the Kyuubi. He must have been a very proud and brave man. And your mother must have been a wonderful person, because she raised you, and you are a wonderful person." Hinata's heart began to beat faster and faster. Ai listened to every word she said and began to choke up.

"Th-thank you, Hinata," he said on the verge of tears. He turned to see that Hinata was also crying. "H-Hinata, what's wrong?"

"I-I just don't want y-you to be sad," she said through her tears. "W-when you are sad, I'm s-sad. I want you to be h-happy, Ai-kun." Ai grabbed her and held her in his arms while she cried on his chest.

"I'm not sad, Hinata. These are tears of joy, your words made me feel a lot better." He stared into her pearly eyes and suddenly, all his inhibitions where gone. He brushed a few strands of hair out of her face, and pressed his lips gently against hers. He expected her to resist, but instead there was only slight hesitance, quickly followed by more enthusiasm than he would have expected from the shy Hyuuga. Hinata wrapped her arms around Ai's neck as their kiss continued. They stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity before they broke for air.

"Hinata-chan," Ai whispered, "I love you."

"I l-love you too, Ai-kun," she replied.

* * *

Ai carried her home. Hinata kept her arms wrapped around his neck and her head rested on his chest. When they reached the Hyuuga compound, Ai jumped up into her window and into her bedroom. He lay Hinata on her bed and knelt beside her, never taking his eyes off hers. She held his hand and stared into his eyes, the faintest of blushes on her checks.

"I have wanted to tell you of my feelings for you for so long, Hinata-chan," Ai finally said. "But I never did, because I knew how you felt about Naruto." Hinata looked away sheepishly.

"Th-that doesn't matter anymore," she said, "because I love you." Ai squeezed her hand and smiled.

"You make me so happy, Hinata-chan." He leaned in and kissed her again. Then he stood up and made to leave. Hinata pulled him back.

"W-wait," she said. "I w-want you to s-stay," she said nervously. Ai was hesitant, but one look into her eyes and his heart melted.

"Okay," he said as he climbed into the bed. Hinata snuggled up next to him and Ai kissed the top of her head. "I love you, Hinata," he said right before falling asleep next to the girl he loved with all of his heart.

* * *

A/N: w00t, you go Ai!!!!

im planning on keeping this fic at a T rating, and idk if this chapter kinda crosses that line or not. if i get a notice, ill change it to M, but for now im gonna keep it the way it is.

it gets kinda sappy at a few points, but what good romance story doesn't have lots of fluff in it, huh?

i did some research, and i couldnt find a place that stated when exactly Orochimaru founded Otogakure in relation to the Kyuubi's attack on Konoha, so im assuming it was several years inbetween the two events, its the only way Ai's parent's backstory work

the next chapter shouldn't take as long to complete, but then again, it could take longer, it all depends on how much school work i have (the more reviews i get the sooner the next chapter will be up) ;)


	7. Fleeting Happiness

That night, Ai had a dream. He was running through the forest at night. Someone was chasing after him, or was he chasing after someone? He couldn't tell. All he knew was, Hinata was in trouble. He was vaguely aware of gashes running up and down his body. Blood stained his clothing, and left a trail behind him. His vision was beginning to swim; he had lost too much blood. But despite all this, he kept running towards whatever unknown goal lay ahead. He ran forever, yet didn't get anywhere. It was the same as in most nightmares, where you are being chased and yet can't seem to gain any ground, no matter how fast you run. Ai always felt it was like running under water. It was terrifying.

Finally, he reached a clearing. Storm clouds were beginning to form in the sky. Ai could tell by the swiftness they overtook the moon and stars that it was going to be a bad storm. Just as Ai reached the middle of the clearing, a kunai landed in the ground right in front of him. Ai stopped and looked around him, trying to tell where the knife had come from. His eyes stopped on a figure emerging from the trees in front of him. The man -- he knew it was a man for some reason -- was completely shrouded in a long black cloak. He began to chuckle, then laugh maniacally as Ai stared at him horrified. There was a flash of lightning. Suddenly, Hinata appeared beside him. Ai caught her as she fell to her knees. She was in even worse shape that he was. Her jacket had long since been torn to shreds, and blood was matted in her hair. She began to cough up blood.

Ai looked at the cloaked man with murder on his mind. The man's face couldn't been seen, but Ai knew he was grinning from ear to ear. He stepped out of the trees, and began walking towards Ai and Hinata. Hinata clung to Ai's shirt and began to cry. She mouthed something, but Ai couldn't hear what it was. All he could hear was insane laughter. It grew louder and louder as the man approached A sword appeared out from underneath the man's cloak and gleamed despite the lack of moonlight. There was another flash of lightning, and for a split second, Ai could see the man's face. His features were unrecognizable, but the thing that had the biggest impression on Ai, the thing he remembered most when he woke up screaming, were his cold, piercing green eyes.

* * *

Ai woke and stifled a scream into his pillow. He had broken out in a cold sweat and was breathing heavily. He sat up and sat on the edge of the bed, burying his face in his palms. That had been the most vivid nightmare he had ever had. He could hear the man's laughter like he was right there. He could smell the blood that pooled on the ground. He could taste his own fear...

And those eyes. They were so foreign, and yet so familiar. He had never felt that much blood lust in one person before.

A soft moan brought him out of his trance. He looked over at Hinata, still asleep with a small smile on her lips. Ai smiled and bent down to kiss her. She made him feel so at peace. Despite all his worries -- about the upcoming battle, his parents' origin -- as long as he knew that Hinata would be there for him, he wasn't afraid of anything. He felt that he could even take on Naruto, the hero of Konoha and the entire ninja world, the chosen one, and the future Hokage.

Ai kissed Hinata one last time and made to leave. It was still early and Hiashi wouldn't be up for another couple of hours. He did not want to be discovered in Hinata's bedroom when her father woke up.

"Are you leaving, Ai-kun," Hinata said sleepily. Ai turned around to see her staring at him with heavily lidded eyes. He smiled warmly and sat back down on the edge of the bed.

"Yea, I think it's best I go home now. Wouldn't want to be found in your bed, now would I? God only knows what your father would do to me..." Ai cringed at the thought. Hinata giggled.

"Yes, that would be best. Neji-nii-sama would also be very angry if he found you here." Ai chuckled at that. For all their differences, and for all the tension between the branch and main family of the Hyuuga, Neji and Hiashi were almost identical when it came to Hinata's protection.

Ai stared into her eyes and suddenly felt like he didn't care about Neji or Hiashi. He didn't care if they found him in her bedroom. He never wanted to leave her side. But he knew better.

"I will see you in the morning, Hinata. Get some more sleep. I love you," he said as he left. Hinata yawned and closed her eyes, half-asleep already.

"I love you too, Ai-kun..." she trailed off as she fell back into sleep.

* * *

For the next couple of days, Ai was on cloud nine. Not even the rigorous preparation for the upcoming attack could break his spirits. Hinata never left his side. They spent all day together, helping Tsunade and Gaara organize a defense, and at night, Ai would sneak back into her bedroom and curl up next to Hinata. Ai had the dream several times again, but dismissed it as anxiety for the battle to come. He wasn't about to let a recurring nightmare ruin his happiness. In fact, their happiness seemed to be rubbing off on others as well. Two days after Ai and Hinata's first night together, Naruto and Sakura announced their engagement. Hinata had been delighted at this news and her, along with Ino, Choji, and Shikamaru, had thrown the two a big party in celebration. To Ai's surprise, he had been invited to the party. Ai had graduated from the academy a year before the other's, and had never really been invited to any of their fun.

The night of the party, Ai and Hinata showed up at Naruto and Sakura's apartment. Most everyone was already there. Neji and Shikamaru were playing shogi in the corner, while Choji and Naruto were having a contest to see who could eat the most ramen in one sitting. Lee was busy trying to impress Tenten by bench-pressing the couch that Ino and Sakura were sitting on. Shino was being his usual self, standing in the corner, not really talking to anybody. Sai was off to himself, sketching on a scroll. Kiba seemed to be a little distant too, as he sat by the window by himself, stroking Akamaru's ear. The dog was sitting outside in the bushes because he was too big to fit in the crowded apartment.

Hinata sat down with Sakura and Ino, who was admiring the ring on Sakura's finger, while Ai went and cheered on Choji and Naruto, who seemed to be holding his own against the pudgy nin. After a while, the two decided on a draw, and Choji went to go sit down with Ino. Naruto sat down with his new fiancée, and Ai took a seat next to Hinata. Kiba shifted uncomfortably at the window.

"So," Sakura said to Ino, "when are you two gonna tie the knot?" Choji looked away embarrassed and Ino turned red. Naruto laughed.

"Come on, Sakura-chan. Let them be. I'm sure Choji has it all planned out, right?" he said with a big grin. A vein popped out on both Ino and Choji's forehead, and the two seemed to fight against the urge to punch him. Ai and Hinata laughed nervously. Sakura looked at the two with a big smile.

"I'm so happy for the two of you," she said. Ai scratched the back of his head while Hinata curled up closer to him. He could tell that she was embarrassed, but still happy.

After a few hours, Kakashi, Yamato, and Iruka showed up. Iruka and Yamato were busy congratulating Sakura while Naruto was busy scolding Kakashi for being late. Shortly after, Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro knocked on the door. Kankuro joined Neji at the shogi table while Gaara gave Naruto and Sakura his blessing. Temari seemed to disappear as soon as she got there. Ai couldn't help but notice that Shikamaru also seemed to disappear.

Tsunade eventually appeared, half-drunk already, with a nervous looking Shizune behind her. Shizune tried her best to get Tsunade to come back to the office, but Tsunade only said that after all the preparation for the invasion, she needed to let of some steam and proceeded to down another bottle of sake.

After another couple of hours, things began to wind down. Kakashi, Yamato, and Iruka helped Shizune carry a sleeping Tsunade back to her office. Sai had disappeared long ago. Gaara and Kankuro, along with Temari, who reappeared suddenly looking rather flustered, left shortly after saying that they had to return to Suna the next morning to gather any available troops. Lee left to meet up with Gai for some midnight training. Kiba left without a word. The remaining people broke up into their own little groups. Hinata went with Ino, Tenten, and Sakura. Ai, Naruto, Neji, Choji, Shino, and Shikamaru, who also reappeared suddenly muttering "troublesome" under his breath, stayed in the living room.

"So, Shino, what's up with Kiba?" Naruto asked getting right to the point.

"Jealousy."

"Huh?"

"Geez, Naruto," Choji said, "you can be so dense sometimes. Kiba is jealous." Naruto stared at him confused. Ai, however, finally realized what was wrong with Kiba.

"He's jealous because I'm now with Hinata," he said with a sigh. Choji also let out a sigh, while Shikamaru muttered "troublesome" a few more times. Shino just shook his head disapprovingly.

"You've gotta be kidding me!?" Naruto exclaimed. "Ai..., you're going out with Hinata?" Everyone except for Shino fell to the floor. Naruto really was an idiot.

"Y-yea, Naruto, I'm going out with Hinata," Ai said as he stood back up. Neji cleared his throat and walked over to him. The tension mounted as Neji stared Ai down. None of them wanted to be in the room right then.

"It is my duty," Neji finally said, "to protect Hinata-sama." Ai was starting to get really nervous.

"That means," Neji continued, "I must make sure any man she is close too, will not do anything to allow harm to come to her. I must make sure that he can take care of her and protect her." Choji, Naruto, and Shikamaru started to slowly back away while Shino pulled his hood a little farther down.

"And I think that you... can do just that," Neji concluded as he pated Ai on the shoulder. Ai breathed a sigh of relief.

"However," Neji mentioned, "just because you have my approval, does not mean you will receive the same from Hiashi."

The task of trying to gain Hiashi's approval unnerved Ai, but he decided not to let it bother him at the moment. He would deal with him when he had too. For now, Ai was just going to enjoy himself. Everyone settled back into conversation, and Ai was starting to finally feel like one of the group. After a while, he noticed that something was missing. He decided to ask about it.

"Naruto, where exactly is Sasuke?" Naruto looked at Ai and grew sullen. Everyone else looked angry. Ai had the feeling that he touched upon a sensitive subject, and regretted asking.

"He, decided not to come," Naruto answered sadly. Neji cleared his throat angrily. Shikamaru muttered something that sounded like "dirty traitor." After killing Itachi, Sasuke and his group had joined with Konoha in eliminating the remaining Akatsuki. In fact, he and Naruto had dealt the final blow to Pain. Due to his help, and the fact that he also took out Orochimaru, Tsunade had granted Sasuke amnesty. He had returned to Konoha expected to be a hero. However, he was shunned by everyone except for Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi. So in the past few months, Sasuke had become more and more distant from the rest of the village. Ai personally thought that everyone was being stupid. Sasuke had only gone to Orochimaru so that he could kill his brother. He had never done anything to harm Konoha. In fact, he had done the opposite. He had done a great thing for the village by killing Orochimaru and Pain. But some people just never learn.

It was when everyone was preparing to leave that there was a knock at the door. Naruto answered it and stood in the doorway shocked. It was Sasuke.

"S-Sasuke! I thought you said you weren't gonna come?" Naruto asked.

"Idiot," Sasuke replied with a smile. "You think I'd miss my best friend's engagement party? You're a lot dumber than you look."

"And just what the hell is that supposed to mean?" Naruto growled. Sasuke just laughed and stepped inside. He stopped just inside the apartment while everyone stared at him. Choji, Ino, Neji, Shikamaru, Shino, and Tenten left without so much as a "goodbye." Saskue sighed sadly while Sakura put a hand on his shoulder. Ai wrapped his arm around Hinata and stood there uncomfortably.

"I'm glad you came, Sasuke," Sakura said. Naruto came and put an arm around his shoulder.

"Yea, me too." Sasuke put an arm around Naruto's shoulder and smiled.

"What are brothers for?" The two smiled at each other. Ai looked at the three standing there. Naruto and Sasuke standing side-by-side with Sakura clinging to Naruto's arm. Team 7 was finally back together.

Ai felt like he was intruding on a very personal moment and shifted uncomfortably. But he felt better when Hinata squeezed him lovingly.

"Well," Ai finally said, "I think we better get going too." He and Hinata made to leave, but Sasuke stopped him.

"Wait, I need to talk to you, Ai. It's about the guy who's organizing the invasion." Ai stopped dead in his tracks. The man who was organizing the invasion, the man who killed his mother. Ai turned to look at Sasuke. Hinata looked up at him with a worried expression. She squeezed Ai's hand reassuringly, and Ai felt better.

"When I was with Orochimaru, I did a lot of reading on some of his subordinates. One scroll in particular caught my attention. It had information regarding a man named Daichi Akiyama. He was apparently in line to be one of the Sound Four, but lost the position to the flute player Tayuya, which he resented greatly. He was notorious for killing anyone that crossed him, regardless of the situation. A complication with his curse seal affected his mind, causing him to have moments of insanity. While his abilities weren't layed out in detail, the scroll did make note that he possessed a kekkei genkai. It seems he was able to speed up and slow down bodily process in not only himself, but others as well. This should sound familiar."

"Ai-kun, h-how exactly did your m-mother d-die?" Hinata asked.

"Old age," Ai answered after a pause. His mother had only been 34 when she was killed, and yet when her body was found, she was nearing 100. Ai had heard from Gaara that the spy from Suna who died trying to get information also died from old age. So, he finally had a name for his mother's killer. Daichi Akiyama. When Ai found this man, he would make sure that he died as painfully as possible.

"A-Ai-kun?" Hinata asked. She looked at him as though he was a different person. He certainly _felt_ like a different person. Some very evil thoughts had crossed his mind in recent days, and it scared him.

Snapping back to reality, Ai smiled at Hinata and hugged her closer.

"I-I'm fine, Hinata-chan," he said shakily. Hinata didn't seem convinced. Sakura and Naruto also looked worried for him. Even Sasuke looked uneasy.

Truth be told, he was worried himself.

* * *

A/N: well im back from a extended break. to the few of you who read and keep up with my story, i apologize. thanks to Zetnnik and x.Nanako-chan.x for the favs and the reviews.

honestly, there really isnt any excuse for three months without updates. sure, i was falling way far behind in school work and i had to make sure i got into college (which i did by the way .), but i was still only being lazy. i wanted to keep writing, but never got around to it till now. however, it wasnt a complete waste. i took the time to work on my artwork and get my new deviantart account started. i also worked on the book im writing.


	8. Reunion

"Unfortunately, Taki said that they cannot aid us, and we never received a reply from Kiri, so I take that as a no," said Tsunade grimly. Ai rubbed his temples and sighed. After a week of heavy preparation, they had planned everything out so that there was around a 65 chance that they could defend against the invasion. But without more help, a lot of people could be killed. Ai was, for lack of a better term, Konoha's secret weapon, but he could only do so much. If he teamed up with Hinata or Sasuke, for his sharingan also saw through his jutsu, their chances improved slightly, but not enough to celebrate over.

Tsunade reached into her desk and pulled out a bottle of sake, not even worrying about Shizune, who was standing right beside her. Tsunade had been drinking considerably more than usual lately, and Shizune had long since given up on trying to keep her off the bottle. Ai had become increasingly more stressed out in the last few days as well. Even Hinata's company didn't do much to help him relax. But there was more too it. Ai had the nightmare almost every night now, and it had become more graphic and realistic. He caught himself thinking the most gruesome thoughts. Thoughts of murder and torture, and death. He saw eyes everywhere; cold, piercing, and green. He felt like he was loosing his sanity and it scared the hell out of him.

"W-what are we g-going to do, Hokage-sama?" Hinata asked nervously. She had become the tether that kept Ai focused in the last few days. Ever since Ai learned of his mother's killer at Naruto and Sakura's engagement party, she had taken very careful care of him and made sure that he didn't loose his mind. Ai didn't think he could ever make it up to her enough. He knew she was just as stressed as he was, if not more. But she didn't let is show.

"It's simple," Tsunade answered. "We prepare and wait for them to come to us. There really isn't much else we can do. If our information is correct, the invasion force will be here in four days. What I want from you two is to get a team together. I already have a list of the members you are to get," she said as she handed Ai the list. He scanned over it and froze. His eyes stopped on three names, and a huge smile spread across his face. He quickly looked at Tsunade, to confirm what he read. She smiled and nodded.

"They returned this morning. I thought that you'd enjoy working together with them again," she said with a wink. "I want you to find everyone on that list and then come back to meet with me, I'll give you your orders then. Understood?" Ai and Hinata nodded.

"Alright, then you're dismissed."

"Yes, Hokage-sama," the two answered as they left her office. As soon as he closed the door, Ai rushed out of the building and towards the gate. Hinata, surprised by his sudden sprint, began following him.

"A-Ai-kun, who is it that just returned?" she called out to him. Ai, never stopping, turned to look back at her and grinned.

"My team."

* * *

Ai ran through Konoha searching for his team, with Hinata trailing behind. He was so excited that he could hardly stand it. He hadn't seen Akane-sensei and the others in almost a year. They had been on a diplomatic mission to the Land of Waves, to help establish the new Village Hidden in the Islands. Ai, unfortunately, had been too injured from the previous mission to go along, and had been forced to stay behind. He wished Tsunade had told him sooner that they were coming back, but right now, he didn't care. He just wanted to see his friends.

"Ai-kun, wait!" Hinata called out. Ai stopped in front of the ramen shop and let her catch up. She ran up to him to catch her breath.

"I'm sorry, Hinata," Ai said apologetically, "I'm just really excited."

"I-it's okay, Ai-kun. I can't wait to --"

"Hhhhheeeeeyyyyy, Aaaaiiii!" There was a flash of silver, and Ai was tackled to the ground.

"A-Ai-kun!" Hinata exclaimed. Ai wrestled with the attacker for a brief moment before he was able to stand back up. When he saw who it was, he felt overjoyed.

"Akane-sensei!" Akane sat on the ground and grinned from ear to ear. She wore the standard jounin jumpsuit and vest, with her shuriken pouch on her left leg and her headband wrapped around her right. Her long silver hair was a mess from the wrestling. The tips of her bangs were purple, as were her eyes.

Akane was a big show-off, and for a jounin of twenty-six, she could be very childish. Even in some of the most serious situations, she would act like a little girl. Once, on a mission, she had wanted to stay at a hot spring for the night. Ai had objected, and Akane had thrown a temper-tantrum for an hour straight. But when she got serious, she was the one of the most powerful and tactful ninja Ai had ever known. She also had a problem with gambling, although not as bad as Tsunade's. Akane actually had fairly good luck, and won a good margin of the time. Unfortunately for her, it was always towards the beginning that she won, and she always ended up loosing most of her winnings.

"C'mon, Sensei. You need to chill out," Ai heard a guy say behind him. He sounded like he just woke up.

"Shameful..." said a female voice. Ai turned around. Two people were walking towards them.

"Sh-Shoe! Noname!" Ai stuttered in surprise.

"Yo, Ai. What's up dude?" said Shoe lazily. Shoe's real name was Osamu. No one really knew why everyone called him "Shoe," but they did. He was sixteen, and a bit taller than Ai. He had long blue hair, a blue goatee, and the tips of his bangs were dark blue. His sideburns and the hair tufts that hid his ears were black. His eyes were pink, and he had several tattoos underneath them. He wore a heavy gray coat that crossed over like Ai's, with a sash tying it together. The trim and inside of the coat, and the sash, were olive green. His right sleeve was rolled up to his elbow, and the left looked like it had been dipped in olive green paint. The forearm portion was green, with a wavy line separating green from gray just below the elbow. Gray dots of various sizes were scattered around the line on the green side, while green dots were on the gray. He wore black tearaway pants, with his left pant leg removed. There was a red stripe around his right knee where the zipper was. His shuriken pouch was on his right leg, and he did not wear a headband. Instead, the metal plate with the leaf symbol was stitched to the shoulder of the left sleeve of his jacket.

Shoe always had a glazed look on his face, and had a tendency to be kind of lazy. He was goofy, sarcastic, unkempt, and not the brightest ninja in Konoha, and Ai's best friend. But despite his appearance and laziness, he was a very responsible person and always made sure that whatever needed to be done, got done. He was also a very skilled ninja and was promoted to special jounin right before the mission to the Land of Waves.

"Shoe!" Ai exclaimed as he hugged the disheveled nin. Shoe chuckled and patted Ai on the back.

"Easy there, bro. While I'm flattered that you think of me so highly, I told'ya, I'm not that kinda girl." Ai laughed and punched Shoe on the arm, which Shoe began to rub with a slight pained expression on his face.

"That actually hurt you know..." he whined.

"Very shameful..." said Noname. Noname had dark purple hair, which matched her eyes and her eye shadow. Her hair was cropped short on her right side, and left long on her left. She wore it down in her face, so you could only ever see one eye, and she kept the long part slung over her shoulder. She had two bridge piercings on her nose, and multiple piercings on her ears. She wore a mesh top with a low cut black t-shirt over it. Underneath she wore a long sleeve purple shirt. Like Ai, she wore black cutoff gloves. Chains hung off the bottom of her t-shirt and wrapped around her hips, crossing and connecting in the middle. Her pants were also purple. She liked purple.

Noname was quiet and calculating. She rarely said anything more than a few words at a time, and what she _did_ say was usually very frank and got straight to the point. However, on the rare occasion that she said a lot, it was usually very important and had a great inner truth to it. She was very strict and serious, and had a short temper. But she was also very loyal and intelligent, and very reliable.

Ai laughed at her usual bluntness.

"It's good to see you too, Noname." He pulled her into a hug, and Noname blushed faintly. A small smile spread across her face.

"Yes, it's good to see you, Ai," she said as she hugged him back. Then she noticed that everyone was looking at them and she pushed him away abruptly with a "hmph!" Akane jumped to her feet and hugged Ai's head.

"Oh Ai-hime, Akane-chan missed you soooooooooo much!" Ai blushed, but was incredibly happy. He had missed the three of them terribly in the last year. He even missed Akane and Shoe's teasing about his name.

"So," Shoe said after a moment, "are you gonna stand there lookin' pretty, or are you gonna introduce us?"

"Oh, sorry. Hinata, this is Shoe, Noname, and Akane-sensei," Ai said, indicating them each in turn. Shoe mumbled a nearly incoherent "wazzup," and picked his nose. Noname simply nodded. Akane, on the other hand, squealed and assaulted Hinata, smothering her in her arms. Hinata was taken by surprise from the sudden attack.

"Oh, you are just too cute!" Akane said with another squeal. Noname grabbed her by the ear and dragged her off Hinata.

"Oh Noname-chan, you're no fun!" she whined as she stuck out her tounge. Hinata moved next to Ai and bowed.

"I-it's very nice to meet you," she said. Ai took her hand and squeezed it gently.

"Everyone, this is Hinata," he paused, and looked into her eyes. She looked up at him and blushed, then buried her face into his arm. Ai continued, also blushing.

"My girlfriend." Akane beamed and Shoe had a sly grin on his face. Noname flinched and did a double take, but it was so brief that no one noticed.

"Well well, Ai-hime," Shoe said. "How'd the princess score such a hottie?" He laughed and received another punch on the arm.

* * *

A/N: yea, its short, but i wanted to go ahead and get it posted so i could introduce the new characters. originally, Ai was going to be the only OC in this fic, but after i posted the last chapter, my sister asked me if i could put one of her OCs, Akane, in. i thought about it and found that i liked the idea of putting in more characters. Akane winded up being the leader to Ai's team, which has been nonexistant up until now. after there was a leader, i still needed two more characters to finish of the team, so me and my sis decided to work together on it, each of us coming up with one. i came up with Noname and she created Shoe.

i hope you guys like them, and the rest of the story, because its going to start picking up here pretty soon. there's gonna be quite a lot of fight scenes comin up (even thought i suk at writing them). there's also gonna be a big twist, see if you can figure it out ;)

-DaemonArts


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